Cheers and jeers

CHEERS — to the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth for stepping up and providing the Gloversville Public Library with a temporary home. The library is scheduled to undergo major renovations on every floor, turning the basement into a children’s area with a teen room, among other improvements. The library will also become handicapped-accessible with an elevator and better layout for wheelchairs and strollers. The renovations will take about two years, according to Elizabeth Batchelor, co-chair of the project. During that time, the library will lease space in the CRG building. We wish all agencies across the area would show that kind of cooperation for the betterment of our communities.

CHEERS — to Halloween revelers and our area police for a safe, fun Halloween night. Most police agencies contacted reported very little mischief, allowing police officers to intermingle with parents and children, some handing out candy at their stations. We think that’s a great way to foster trust and confidence between our police and citizens, especially the young ones who are so impressionable.

JEERS — to the Johnstown Common Council for not more aggressively trimming the proposed 2017 budget. The council met for more than two hours on Monday and made some modest cuts to the Senior Citizens Center and the Johnstown Citizens Band, among other minor trims. But there’s still a long way to go. City Treasurer Michael Gifford told the council that $365,000 would have to be cut from the tax levy to reach the tax cap. With revenue lagging, we think the council has to dig a little deeper.

CHEERS — to all who had a hand in making the Johnstown-Gloversville football game a reality on Wednesday night. About 1,000 fans turned out for the 89th meeting of the rivalry — only the third time the teams have played each other since 2006. Unlike past years, when the game has been one-sided, this one was decided by a fourth-quarter safety with Gloversville winning, 9-7. It wasn’t the greatest of seasons for either football program, but a head-to-head finale against their city rivals had to have been a memorable sendoff for every senior — many of whom will never play another game in pads.

CHEERS — to the Crossroads Incubator Corp, a subsidiary of the Center for Regional Growth, for apparently finding a buyer for the Estee Commons apartment complex. A sale to Maddalone & Associates of Schenectady, the current landlord, appears imminent. We’re glad to see the CIC — and CRG — get out of the real estate business.

CHEERS — to innovative teaching. The sixth-grade class at Fonda-Fultonville Middle School recently took a trip to The Netherlands without ever leaving the classroom. Jenny Buccos, a filmmaker and graduate of the school district, hosted a video chat with more than 130 sixth-graders and shared her life experiences while traveling the world. Kudos to teachers Katelyn Fletcher and Laura Hayes-Bowles for thinking out of the box and making the chat possible. It’s a big world out there, and we’re happy any time we see students expand their horizons beyond their hometown.